Lobby Logic: When Politeness Takes a Detour

The hotel lobby buzzed with quiet sophistication. Polished floors gleamed, and the soft hum of conversations filled the air. I walked in, dressed sharply, with the air of someone who knew exactly where they were going. My assistant trailed behind me, juggling a tablet and an overstuffed folder, clearly flustered.

We were heading toward the lounge for a brief meeting when they tried to start small talk.

“Good morning, K,” they said, a little too chipper. “How are you? Did you sleep well? The weather’s great, isn’t it?”

I stopped mid-stride, slowly turned to them, and tilted my head with a look that could’ve pierced steel. My voice was calm, but the words landed like a carefully aimed dart.

“Who the hell are you?”

The assistant froze, their mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Uh… I’m… your assistant?” they managed, their voice climbing an octave.

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Because if you were, you’d know I don’t waste time on pleasantries when there’s work to do.”

Their face flushed. “Right. Of course. My mistake.”

I continued walking as if nothing had happened, leaving them scrambling to catch up. The lounge was only a few steps away, but the tension between us could’ve powered a small city.

As we reached the table, the person we were meeting greeted us warmly. “Good morning! How’s everything going?”

I smiled politely. “Wonderful, thank you. Let’s get started.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw my assistant breathe a sigh of relief, clearly grateful that I didn’t throw them under the proverbial bus in front of a third party.

But as the meeting began, I leaned slightly toward them and whispered, “Next time, skip the weather report. It’s not why I hired you.”

They nodded quickly, and I returned my attention to the conversation, already three steps ahead in my mind.

Because in my world, efficiency isn’t just a preference — it’s a rule. And breaking it? Well, let’s just say my assistant won’t make that mistake twice.